Leaders Can Fall

     When I worked as a manager of a temporary service in Fort Worth, I had to attend many meetings in Dallas. The company I worked for was a large corporation that had offices all over the country. We had eight in the Dallas/Ft.Worth area. We were also self insured with our worker's comp. That meant that all the managers in the district had bi-yearly meetings in Dallas to review our worker's comp claims. We met in a large, old, majestic building in downtown Dallas. After attending a four hour meeting discussing all the crazy falls, injuries, and bogus claims, we concluded the meeting. We were all walking to our cars to begin our 2 hour drive home in Dallas rush hour traffic. As we were walking down the majestic exterior stairwell, you guessed it; I fell! Down the stairs I went with my purse, binders, and of course shoes flying in all directions (Dwayne: Of course I was waiting eagerly at home to hear about yet another fall!). Can you imagine? The person in charge of worker's comp for the Ft. Worth office, leaving a worker's comp meeting with all the other managers in charge of worker's comp: FALLS! It only happens to me! I wish I could end the story there, really I do; but I can't. With help of my co-workers, I gathered up my stuff, put my shoes back on, walked down the rest of the stairs, turned towards the parking lot, and fell again! Can you believe it! I wondered if they had spiked my drink at the meeting. I don't know why I fell once and I sure don't know why I would fall twice! My mind tells me that if I am over worker's compensation then I should have a bubble around me that protects me from injuries! If any of you know where that bubble is, please tell me!
     Our minds make the same assumptions with other people who serve in roles of responsibilities. Our pastor's is one example. We often think that since they are our spiritual mentor, leader, and shepherd to a flock of people, they should have it all together. Some of the greatest men I have known are pastors and I respect and admire them tremendously. However, I promise you they are not perfect and each of them has their areas of challenge just like us. Because of my respect for them, it saddens me to see a minister fall! Today, it is a public affair and a flag that the world waves as reasons why religion is worthless. I hate watching the ripple effect of a fallen spiritual leader. I also believe that Satan attacks them more because of this negative impact against God and religion. We need to pray harder than ever for those that serve as pastors. Pray for their personal walk; pray for their openness to hear God's direction; pray for their courage to follow God's direction; pray for their ability to love those that make it hard on them; pray for their discernment; pray for their stress levels and their health; pray for their families; pray for their time crunches; and pray for their personal walk with the Lord.
     If your spiritual leader's ability to lead depended on your support and your prayers, what kind of leader would they be?

Be responsible to your pastoral leaders.  Listen to their counsel.  They are alert to the condition of your lives and work under the strict supervision of God. Contribute to the joy of their leadership, not its drudgery.  Why would you want to make things harder for them?  Pray for us.  We have no doubts about what we're doing or why, but it's hard going and we need your prayers. All we care about is living well before God.

Hebrews 13: 17-18

(Some believe Paul authored Hebrews. Most Theologians believe its simply not known who wrote Hebrews.)